Michael Brissenden presents AM Monday to Friday from 8:00am on ABC Local Radio and 7:10am on Radio National. Join Elizabeth Jackson for the Saturday edition at 8am on Local Radio and 7am on Radio National.

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Wednesday 26 November 2008

AM is Australia's most informative morning current affairs. It covers the stories each morning that the other current affairs teams follow for the rest of the day. Below is the program summary with links to transcripts and audio (if available).

Mortgage defaults on the rise

The Gold Coast, NSW Central Coast and areas around Newcastle are overtaking Sydney's western and south-western suburbs in the latest survey of mortgage defaults. Falling house prices have also brought misery to Perth.

Crisis services report surge in demand

There's been a big jump in the number of families attending crisis services after losing their homes in recent months. Community workers say it's often a small bill that sends a family's budget into turmoil.

Superannuation fund faces tough questions

The directors of one of Australia's biggest industry superannuation funds have faced a dressing down from their members over the fund's investment performance. AustralianSuper says the fund has suffered the fallout of the US subprime crisis.

OECD: positive outlook for Australia

Australia will weather the global financial crisis better than most developed nations, according to the latest forecasts by the OECD. The gloomy economic outlook for Britain is prompting many expat Australians to head home.

Gillard accused of nepotism

The Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce says a career in hairdressing is not adequate training for a government sponsored men's health ambassador. He says the appointment of the Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard's hairdresser partner to one of the positions smacks of nepotism.

BHP bumps Rio takeover deal

Plunging commodity prices and the high price of debt has pushed BHP Billiton to withdraw its hostile takeover bid for rival Rio Tinto. BHP says the $103-billion deal is no longer in the interest of shareholders.

Protesters injured in Thai clashes

Anti-government protesters in Thailand have focussed their latest demonstrations on the nation's airports. Gun shots have been heard during clashes in Bangkok but the protesters remain committed to unseating the Government.

Vic water plans blocked in the Senate

The Greens and the Coalition have teamed up in the Senate to pass an amendment to stop any new moves for water to be taken from the Murray-Darling Basin. It's likely to cause big problems for the Victorian Government which is banking on a $750m pipeline to secure Melbourne's water supply.

Charities call for crisis help

The heads of 30 of Australia's charities are meeting in Canberra to find a way to help the nation's most disadvantaged through the current global economic crisis. They say they don't have the resources to help all the people asking for assistance.